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She has not been identified but her legal complaint states that she is of Asian descent and from Texas.

The complaint states: ‘If one is perceived to be 'over the hill,' i.e. approaching 40, it is nearly impossible for an up-and-coming actress, such as the plaintiff, to get work as she is thought to have less of an 'upside'’.

The actress claims she signed up to the 'pro' edition of imdb in 2008 but did not give her age

The actress claims she signed up to the ‘pro’ edition of imdb, which stands for Internet Move Database, in 2008 but did not give her age.

She claims that imdb then cross referenced her name against public records and credit card details and put her age online.

Jennifer Aniston has been accused of shaving a few years off her age

Despite repeated requests it was not taken down, she alleges.

The woman claims the problem stems from the fact she looks very young for her age and auditions for parts normally given to younger women.

The complaint states: ‘The plaintiff has experienced rejection in the industry for each '40-year-old' role for which she has interviewed because she does not and cannot physically portray the role of a 40-year-old woman’.

The woman claims that imdb’s actions were fraudulent and violated her privacy and breached the terms of the private policy she signed.

She also claimed their actions were ‘malicious, intentional, oppressive, outrageous’ and that their unwillingness to take down her real age was ‘callous’.

She is seeking $75,000 in compensatory damages and $1million in punitive damages, plus her legal fees.

The woman says she is withholding her name ‘for fear of retaliation’.

Hollywood’s leading ladies have for many years been accused of hiding their real ages - with good reason.

According to the Screen Actors’ Guild, in 2009 women over 40 accounted for 28 per cent of female roles on film and TV, while men over 40 starred in 42 per cent of male roles that year.

Everyone from Jennifer Aniston to Sandra Bullock has been accused of shaving a few years off to make themselves look better.

On Twitter the reaction to the lawsuit has not been positive - one woman summed up the thoughts of many when she posted: ‘Way to draw more attention to it, grandma’.